"It was tough getting a water supply to the house (and) trying to get in there," Greene said. The house was at the end of a road, "way out in the woods," he added.

The resident, who was not publicly identified, managed to escape without injury, but his wood-frame house wasn't as lucky.

Officials said icy temperatures – it was about 26 degrees at the time of the fire – the remote location of the home and rough road conditions made fighting the fire difficult.

"All the water was starting to freeze up," Greene said, praising area fire departments for sending tanker trucks to the scene. In addition to Wales, firefighters from Holland, Brimfield, Monson and Stafford, Conn., responded to the call.

The Red Cross was assisting the homeowner, who also lost machinery and farm equipment in the fire, officials said.